1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of hammers adapted to be used in shredders. More particularly, this invention pertains to the field of two-piece hammers adapted to be used in industrial shredders.
2. Description of the Related Art
Industrial shredders have become essential equipment in many processing and manufacturing facilities including paper recycling plants, pulp processing plants, and refuse derived fuel (RDF) plants. These shredders conventionally employ a plurality of hammers pivoted on a motor-driven rotor which are adapted to shred or crush materials which are fed through the shredder.
Conventional hammers include "bell" shaped hammers and "bowtie" shaped hammers. Each of these conventional hammers is formed as one piece (e.g. through a casting and/or machining process) from a homogeneous material. In the prior art, this material is selected so as to have sufficient hardness to prevent excessively rapid wear at the hammer tip and sufficient ductility and tensile strength to prevent the hammer from shattering during the shredding operation. However, the selection of this material often involves a compromise between hardness and ductility. Moreover, when these hammers wear out or fail, it becomes necessary to disassemble the shredder to replace the entire hammers.